Recently, an electrically operated door locking device and a wireless remote control door locking device are employed in a vehicle door so as to enhance convenience for opening and closing a vehicle door. In an outside handle device included in such system, electrical components are located and accommodated in a handle portion assembled at the outside of the vehicle door. Therefore, the electrical components of the handle portion are electrically connected to electrical wire of the vehicle body side by using various manners.
For example, a known outside handle device is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication published on Jan. 31, 2002 as the publication number JP2002-30844.
In the disclosed outside handle device, the electrical components of the handle portion are electrically connected to electrical wire of the vehicle body side via a wire harness (a electrical wire) and a connector.
According to the disclosed outside handle, however, when the electrical components of the handle portion are connected to the wire harness of the vehicle body side after the handle portion is assembled to the vehicle door, electrical components of the handle portion have to be connected to the wire harness of the vehicle body side in a space provided in the vehicle door, which takes more time to completely assemble the handle portion to the vehicle door. Especially in such connecting operation between electrical components of the handle portion and the wire harness of the vehicle body side, the handle portion is assembled to a predetermined position in the vehicle door side in advance, so that the handle portion can be assembled to the predetermined position so as to simplify assembling operation. Further, the wire harness (electrical wire) has to be provided so as not to interfere with a door window provided in the vehicle door, then it takes more time to properly design arrangement of various parts (i.e. the handle portion, door window) included in the vehicle door.
In order to simplify the assembling operation of the handle portion to the door, a known outside handle device disclosed in European Patent No. 1108835(FIG. 2) published on Jun. 20, 2001 includes a handle portion integrally provided with a connector structure. Consequently, an electrical wire of a handle side is electrically connected to an electrical wire of the vehicle body side in response to assembling operation of the handle portion.
However when the electrical wire of the handle side is electrically connected to the electrical wire of the vehicle body side, the handle portion must be a fixed type. Design allowance in outside handle device is restricted.
A need thus exists to provide an outside handle device which can simplify the assembling operation without design restriction.;